The bans have exposed secular France’s difficulties grappling with religious tolerance in the wake of the attacks. Nice became a symbol of the burkini-ban controversy when local and foreign media relayed pictures of police ordering a woman lying on the beach to remove some of the clothing that covered most of her body. The United Nations human rights office earlier this week called on French beach resorts to lift their bans on the burkini, calling them a “stupid reaction” that did not improve security but rather fuelled religious intolerance. While the controversy may wane with the end of the summer vacation period, the burkini furore highlighted the tensions set to dominate ahead of elections next May. While traditionally Catholic but also home to large Jewish and Muslim communities, France has made the strict separation of church and state a cornerstone of political life for well over a century.

Source: Dhaka Tribune September 02, 2016 18:56 UTC